Edge support for the opening of vacuum cleaner bags or the like



July 25, 195o 2,516,121

F. S. HOWARD EDGE SUPPORT FOR THE OPENING OF VACUUM CLEANER BAGS OR THE LIKE Filed NOV 12, 1946 J7 L? @j Patented July 25, 1950 EDGE SUPPORT FOR THE OPENING F VACUUM CLEANER BAGS OR THE LIKE Frank S. Howard, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Birtman Electric Company, a corporation of Illinois Application November 12, 1946, Serial No. 709,283

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a bag construction and particularly to a bag for a vacuum cleaner wherein the dirt is separated from the air.

Y Practically all of the oor model vacuum cleaners employ a bag into which dirt-laden air is directed. The bag serves as a filter to separate the dirt from the air with the air going through the walls of the bag and the dirt remaining within the bag. It is necessary, therefore, that the bag be emptied from time to time in order that it function with the greatest efciency. An opening is ordinarily provided inthe bag for emptying the dirt, with this opening being normally kept closed with a clamp that holds the sides of the `opening pressed tightly against each other. This `to the clamp.

In order that the opening be kept tightly closed, it is necessary that the sides of the opening be folded at against each other in a particular manner. Ordinarily the bag has an opening provided with two oppositely disposed folds directed inwardly and with two non-folded portions against which the clamp bears. The two folded portions are ordinarily held between the non-folded portions. It has been found in practice: that it is diicult to arrange the opening of the bag so that the folded portions will be held between the non-folded portions when the clamp is in place. If the folded sides of the bag at the fold lines sag, there is always the possibility that the bag will leak air and dirt at the opening thereby reducing the efficiency of the bag and permitting dirt to escape into the room. In order to overcome this disadvantage, the present invention is directed to a reinforcement for the bag opening so that the opening may be easily folded into its proper position before applying the clamp. In order to accomplish this, the bag is provided with a rigid reinforcement having a portion extending along one edge of a folded section to the fold line. Another portion of the reinforcement is fastened to a part of the edge of the opening.

This reinforcement serves to hold the fold up near the plane of the opening even when the clamp is removed and the opening is fully extended. The invention broadly comprises a flexible container having an opening, a reinforcement for at least a part of the edge of the opening comprising a rigid member having one portion fastened to and lying along said edge part and a second portion fastened to a part of the container spaced from the edge of the opening. The invention is applicable not only to a vacuum cleaner bag,` but to any container having exible Walls andan opening therein. 1-

The invention will be described as related to one embodiment of the same as set out in the vaccompanying drawings. Of the drawing, Fig. v1 is an elevation of a vacuum cleaner having a bag attached thereto with the bag embodying the'in- Vention; Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the top of the bag showing the opening in a distended position; Fig. 3. is a plan view of the distended opening; Fig. @is a plan view of the opening in closed position; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the opening `with sections broken away for clarity of illustration.

The vacuum cleaner shown in the accompanying drawings comprises a body portion llincluding a nozzle II, front supporting wheels I2, intermediate wheels I3, rear wheels I4, a handle I5 including an end I6 adapted to be grasped by the hand, and a bag lll attached to the outlet I8 of the body portion I9.

The bag I'I is provided with a top opening I9 normally kept closed by a clamp 20 having a substantially U-shaped cross section. The clamp 2|] is suspended from the handle by a short chai 2|, or the like, attached to the handle.

The opening I9 of the bag has two straight side portions 22 of substantially equal length and two end portions 23 also of substantially equal length. The end portions 23 are adapted to'be foldedl inwardly to close the opening as shown in Fig. 4. Each end portion has a fold line 24 at substantially the center.

Each side portion 22 of the opening is provided with a flat bar 25 of slightly shorter length than its corresponding side with the bar'being located in a pocket 26 formed by folding over a section of the side of the bag and sewing it to produce a seam 21.

In order to support the side portions 23 of the opening when the opening is extended, there are provided a pair of rod members 28 with each rod member being bent at substantially its middle portion to form an approximately angle. One leg 29 of a rod member is stitched to the edge of the opening beiwveen the fold line 24 and the corner adjacent an end of a bar 25. The other leg of the rod member is stitched to the bag I'I in a downwardly extended position, as by spaced stitches 30, and is arranged at substantially 90 to the plane of the opening. The other rod member 28 is similarly arranged at the other side of the bag and adjacent the other end of the same bar 25.

With the construction described above, the sides 23 of the opening are held by the rod members 28 even when the opening is fully distended so that the opening at all times is in a substantially at plane. Because the rod members support the sides of the opening, it is very simple to fold the opening to a closed position before applyingzthe clamp 20. There is no danger of the sidesfsagging and permitting leakage of air and dirt. simple matter to close the opening as the folds at the fold lines 24 need not bepulled into position before applying the clamp.

The pockets in which the bar members 25 and the rod members 28 are held are suiiiciently resilient that the clamp completely closes the opening. In order to assist in formingffan .airtight yclosure, it is preferred that the bar members 25 be made slightly shorter than their corresponding'sides of the opening. This permits the downwardly ex- .f

^ tended portions of the rod members 28 lto be :arranged beyond the bar members when the opening is closed, as shown in Fig. 4. I

Having described my invention as related to "the embodiment shown in the accompanying f drawings; it is my intention that the invention be unot `limited by any of the details of description unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in 4 theaccompanying claims.

"I'claim:

1.- A vacuum cleaner bag having van opening therein, an inwardly-directed fold in the bag ad- Ajacent 'theedge of theopening with the fold having vtwo :side portions, -a `reinforcing means comprising a `bar member bent intermediate its tends to form twoportionslying at an angle'of approximately SO2-means for fastening oneporetionof the bar member to one side portionof 'the'ffoldfalong the edge of the opening, and meansfor rotatably fastening the other portion of the bar member to the bag substantially at a :corner-portion'-thereof and at an angle of ap- IproXimately'QO"withA respect to the plane of the -.iopening.

12. A vacuum `cleaner bag having an opening therein, inwardly-directed folds on two opposite f sidesof the opening'witheach fold having an @inwardly-.directed"fold1line, a reinforcing means comprising a bar -`member bent at an approximately-,909 angle, meansv for -fastening one portion vof thesbar member to one sideof a fold along ythefe'dge'of"thefopeningwith the end of the bar member being adjacent a fold line, with the vtangle vof the `bar member ,being adjacent the -angleiformed by said-side of the fold and the :straightacontiguous-side.of the opening adjacent With this construction, it is a very i said side of the fold, means for rotatably fastening the second portion of the bar member to the bag at an angle of approximately 90 with respect to the plane of the opening, a second bar member similarly bent and fastened to the second fold in a manner similar to that of the first bar member, a rigid substantially straight reinforcing means fastened to saidcontiguous side of the opening, and a second rigid substantially straight reinforcing means fastened to another straight side of the opening.

3. In a vacuum cleaner bag having an opening Vwith the bag being foldable along fold lines extending inwardly from said opening, a reinforcing means forl at least a part of the edge of said opening comprising a rigid member having angularly vdisposed leg portions, one leg portion being fastened to and lying along an edge of the opening and the entire other leg portion being rotatably `fastened to said bag adjacent to a fold line.

4. A vacuum cleaner -bag having an opening therein having the shape of a four-sided'parallelogram when fully open, inwardly-directed folds on two opposite sides of the opening with each fold having a fold line at substantially the center thereof, a rigid substantially straight reinforcing' means attached to a non-folded side of` the opening, a second rigid substantially straight -reinforcing means attached to the other non-folded side of the opening, each of said 'reinforcing means being slightly shorter in length than the corresponding side of said-opening, a bar member bent at an angle of approximately 90 having one leg of the angle fastened to a folded sideof the opening with the leg extending between the fold line and an edge of said folded side, asecon'd bar member bent at an angle of approximately 90 having one leg of the angle Ifastened toithe other folded side of the opening with the `leg extending between the fold line and an edge of-said other folded side, means for rotatably'v fastening the other leg of said rst angle to the bag'an'd means for rotatably fastening the other leg of said second angle to the bag.

FRANK S. HOWARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,049,821 Devini Jan 7, 1918 1,753,458 Willis Apr. 8, 1930 1,952,900 White Mar. 27, 1934 2,259,855 Martinet Oct. 21, 1941 

